Wildlife Camps Now
Taking Applicants

SAN ANGELO — The call is going out for enlistments into 2002's "Texas Brigades," a group of wildlife-oriented youth camps aimed at cadets 13-17 years old. The camps use bobwhite quail, white-tailed deer and wild turkey as vehicles to equip young people with communications skills and leadership development in an outdoor setting.

"This year marks the 10th year of the Brigade concept," said Dr. Dale Rollins, Extension wildlife specialist here and founder of the Brigades. "We've combined the Bobwhite, Buckskin and Feather Force Brigades into the overarching 'Texas Brigades' as the camps have continued to expand."

The two Buckskin Brigades dates and locations are: South Texas, 3rd Battalion, La Pryor, Jun. 2-6; and North Texas, 1st Battalion, Lueders, July 21-25. Dates and locations for the two Bobwhite Brigades are: Rolling Plains, 10th Battalion, Lueders, Jun. 22-26; and South Texas, 5th Battalion, Campbellton, July 14-18. The East Texas "Feather Forces" Brigade, 6th Battalion, July 28-Aug.1 at Broadus centers around quail and turkey.

The camps' sponsors include Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas Wildlife Association, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Quail Unlimited, local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, private businesses, and landowners.

Tuition for all camps is $200 per cadet. Organizers are willing to help cadets find scholarships for at least half of the tuition. Applications are available in .pdf format at http://texnat.tamu.edu or www.texasbrigades.org. Applications are due by April 15, and should be sent to Helen Holdsworth, 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 212, San Antonio, TX 78230.

Further information is available from Rollins at (915)653-4576, via e-mail at d-rollins@tamu.edu, or by contacting Helen Holdsworth, San Antonio-based Texas Brigades executive director, at (210) 467-6578, e-mail h-holdsworth@tamu.edu.